1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information handling systems and more particularly to virtual machine out-of-band management in information handling systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
It is know to provide virtualization enabled information handling systems (i.e., information handling systems that implement virtual machines). An issue arises with information handling systems that implement virtual machines when the information handling systems are server type information handling systems. More specifically server management remote access methods and virtual machines often do not work well together. Administering a server via a remote access controller such as the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) available from Dell Incorporated or a baseboard management controller (BMC), etc does not provide visibility of the state or provide simultaneous access to virtual machines.
For example, if an in-band network connections to a physical server are lost, then access to the virtual machines of that server may also be lost. In this case, managing, reconfiguring connectivity, etc. becomes more difficult to accomplish. A DRAC can often only be used in a one to one fashion via a virtual keyboard video mouse (vKVM) controller or a serial controller.
Also for example, serial console redirection to a server host (e.g., via a serial emergency management port (EMP), serial over local area network (LAN) connection (often referred to as SOL), etc,) often require a basic input output system (BIOS) which enables physical UARTs built into the chipset, super input/output (I/) or other host accessible logic of the server type information handling system. Also for example, known remote management implements health and remote access in a one to one scenario (e.g., BMC/iDRAC to a single host). Out of band remote access to multiple virtual machines uses a vKVM in a one to one manner.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide dynamic access through which I/O access such as serial ports, and thus administrators who manage servers, can see, obtain health, state or interact concurrently with multiple VMs on a given physical server.